A blog launched on the 41st anniversary of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), the first pro-life organisation in the world, established on 11 January 1967. SPUC has been a leader in the educational and political battle against abortion, human embryo experimentation and euthanasia since then. I write this blog in my role as SPUC's chief executive, commenting on pro-life news, reflecting on pro-life issues and promoting SPUC's work.

Saturday, 5 March 2011

Eileen Clarke is a great sign of hope for the disabled

I wish to pay tribute to Eileen Clarke (pictured) from Melton Mobwbray, one of SPUC's most indefatigable fundraisers. Do read this moving account sent to me by Frances Levett, another great SPUC stalwart from Melton:

"Eileen is a disabled widow who lives in council sheltered housing. She has multiple disabilities, including diabetes and arthritis, and her mobility problems mean that she needs a pavement vehicle to help her get about. Despite this, she is an outstanding fund-raiser for SPUC. She is the first to arrive at our annual street collection, before 8.30 am, and she spends the entire day sitting with a collecting box. She always has the highest amount in her box and over the years she has raised £732.96 in this way. She also helps at every market stall and car boot sale we run, especially at the Melton Show, a very large event. She usually stays for the whole day, and has frequently unpacked huge amounts of bric-a-brac, enough to daunt the stoutest heart! In addition, she has helped to man our float in the carnival parade, but her real strength lies in fund-raising. She has an infectious cheerfulness that seems to lead people to want to give. I have watched her at the street collection. She will shout, 'Hello darling! Got any spare change?' and the person starts to smile and feel in his pocket straight away."

What I think is particularly wonderful about Eileen is that she is a disabled person helping to protect other disabled persons, from the threats of abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide and destructive embryo research. It's because of incredible supporters such as Eileen that SPUC has survived and grown over the past 43 years. As Jill Stanek, the leading American pro-life blogger, pointed out this week, the pro-abortion movement simply doesn't have the same level of personal committment of the pro-life movement. So thank you, Eileen, for being such a great sign of hope for the unborn, the sick, the elderly and the disabled.

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John Smeaton

About me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 33 years. I became director of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.

Acknowledgement

I am grateful to SPUC's staff, supporters and advisers for their help to me in researching, writing and producing this blog.

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